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26 February, 2019. Domodedovo, Moscow region. Moscow Domodedovo Airport partnered with animal rights charity Second Life to launch an initiative called Hug a friend before your flight. As a part of the project, four therapy dogs were helping passengers relieve stress and cheer up.

Moscow Domodedovo Airport created a dedicated area where passengers could pat or hug a dog. Four dogs including a beagle named Fizzy, a husky named Nami and two mutts Klepa and Lusha participated in the initiative. All dogs live in families with children; they are friendly and have all the necessary medical records.

“We all know that communication with animals calms us down. Many people have a fear of flying or pre-flight anxiety. A dog therapist and its pet is a perfect combination to help people cope with stress and get ready to board”, said CEO charity Second Life Stanislav Pereshein.

“Canine-assisted therapy is quite popular around the world. For instance, Milan Malpensa Airport has therapy dogs as a part of the Pet Therapy initiative. Our airport invited four legged friends to de-stress travelers. We are planning on conducting several similar meetings during the year”, said Moscow Domodedovo Airport PR Director Daria Korshonuva.

Canine-assisted therapy is the most popular and widespread type of animal-assisted therapy using trained therapy dogs. It proved efficient once again in 1961 when American child psychiatrist Boris Levinson noted that his patients responded positively to dogs present at their sessions.

Moscow Domodedovo Airport is one of the largest air hubs in Russia. Members of the world's leading airline alliances including Star Alliance and Oneworld have chosen Moscow Domodedovo Airport for their flights to and from Moscow. Moscow Domodedovo Airport is the only airport in Russia handling flights operated by Airbus A380 and Airbus A350-900 on an ongoing basis.

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